Birmingham | Nine small and medium enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs in woodcraft, batik, fans, homeware, and fashion participated in the Autumn Fair exhibition at the NEC Birmingham exhibition hall from September 6 to 9, marking the first time Indonesian SMEs have entered the UK market.
Deputy Minister for Marketing and Business Networks at the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Emilia Suhaemi, stated that the UK is a potential market for Indonesian entrepreneurs, and the Birmingham Autumn Fair 2015 will open opportunities for the craft industry to enter the UK.
According to her, speaking to Antara on Sunday, before participating in the exhibition, SME products were selected based on their quality, in addition to ensuring their continuity.
She emphasized the importance of protecting a product by registering its copyright and brand for global competition.
"I am pleased that entrepreneurs from Indonesia can promote various products produced by small businesses," said the Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, T. M. Hamzah Thayeb, who attended the exhibition's opening.
He expressed hope that the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs would become more solid and provide greater support for small and medium entrepreneurs to enter new markets such as the UK.
Novita Yunus from Batik Chic stated that Batik Chic's participation in the exhibition was an opportunity to study the UK and Western European markets and open up new market opportunities, both in retail and for buyers in the UK and Western Europe.
"Participating in an international exhibition like the Birmingham Autumn Fair is a very valuable learning experience," said Novita. "There is so much to learn, such as attending discussions and seminars related to trends, products, marketing, and e-commerce, all of which are available for free during the exhibition."
In this UK exhibition, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs facilitated the participation of nine SMEs from various regions to promote a range of domestic products.
Source: Analisa / Antara